chapter 6: memory part 1

Question 1

define memory

Answer 1

process of using information that was obtained in the past in order to generate some cognitive function in the present

Question 2

what are the three components of memory and explain them

Answer 2

encoding
storage
retrieval

Question 3

define capacity

Answer 3

measure of how much information a system can hold

Question 4

define duration

Answer 4

measure of how long information remains in memory

Question 5

name the three kinds of memory in the modal model of memory

Answer 5

sensory memory
short-term memory
long-term memory

Question 6

what is the purpose of the sensory memory

Answer 6

to hold info in place before it can be selected for further processing

Question 7

for how long do sensory inputs stay in the sensory memory

Answer 7

~ 1 second

Question 8

short-term memory is capable of producing ___ , such as repeating a phone number someone has just told you or responding to a recall task

Answer 8

behavioral output

Question 9

define maintenance rehearsal

Answer 9

mental repetition of info in short-term memory which allows info to be regenerated in order to prolong its duration

Question 10

how long can memories stay in LTM

Answer 10

up to a lifetime
- can decay over time

Question 11

whatever you are thinking about right now is occupying your ___ memory
a. sensory
b. short-term
c. long-term
d. none of the above

Answer 11

b. short-term

Question 12

what is the process that moves information from sensory memory to short-term memory

Answer 12

attention

Question 13

what is persistence of vision

Answer 13

retention of an image of an object/event for a brief period after it is no longer present

Question 14

after the initial transduction of sensory information, for how long can info be retained within our NS

Answer 14

250 milliseconds

Question 15

describe the toy called thaumatrope

Answer 15

disk with drawing on both sides
- when spun, illusion of seeing both images at the same time

Question 16

define memory consolidation

Answer 16

time-dependent process by recent learned experiences are turned into LTM

Question 17

how is memory represented in the brain? which brain regions are activated

Answer 17

hippocampus
- points toward area of the cortex involved in what’s included in memory

Question 18

how does consolidation affect the brain activity of a memory

Answer 18

memory becomes a stable cortical pattern
- independent from hippocampus

Question 19

in absence of rehearsal, what is the duration of the STM

Answer 19

20-30 seconds

Question 20

define echoic memory

Answer 20

brief memory of a sound
- held for ~3 sec

Question 21

define haptic memory

Answer 21

very brief memory of touch

Question 22

define iconic memory

Answer 22

high-capacity/short-duration form of visual memory
~1 sec

Question 23

differentiate between positive and negative afterimage

Answer 23

when you fixate smt and look away
pos: original image is preserved
neg: colors are reversed compared to original

Question 24

describe Sperling’s (1960) experiment that tested the duration of sensory memory

Answer 24

Visual display: 3*4 letters
2 conditions:
- whole report: recall after “beep”
- partial report: 3 diff “beep” sounds at diff delays (0.1-1 sec)
Sensory capacity is large, but short period of time (<1sec)

Question 25

how many items can the STM hold in the auditory and visual domain

Answer 25

auditory: 7 items
visual: 4 items

Question 26

what method is used to increase the capacity of STM

Answer 26

chunking: combinations of letters, numbers and sounds that constitute a meaningful whole

Question 27

how does chunking information engage with long-term memory

Answer 27

because combinations of items are matched with previously encountered stored items

Question 28

in Chase & Simon’s (1973) experiment, explain why expert chess players were able to recall more pieces on a chessboard than new chess players

Answer 28

chunking abilities increase with knowledge
- effect not present when pieces were on the board randomly

Question 29

describe the Brown-Peterson task

Answer 29

Ps memorize 3 letters
- right after, Ps presented with two-digits number and asked to count backward by threes out loud (prevent rehearsal)
After certain duration, Ps recall letters
- no memory by 15-18 sec

Question 30

what is the most supported explanation for why forgetting occurs in STM

Answer 30

interference and decay

Question 31

name and differentiate the two types of interference

Answer 31

proactive: learned info causes you to forget something you learn in the future
retroactive: newer info causes you to forget something you learned in the past

Question 32

define articulatory suppression

Answer 32

technique used in verbal memory experiments, designed to block rehearsal, in which Ps repeat a task irrelevant utterance out loud while trying to maintain other verbal items in memory

Question 33

what are the three sub-units of Baddeley’s working memory model?

Answer 33

• central executive
• visuo-spatial sketchpad
• phonological loop

Question 34

associate the three subcomponents, the episodic buffer and the attention controller of the WMM to their respective brain area

Answer 34

central executive: prefrontal cortex
phon. loop: Broca’s and Wernicke’s area
visuo. sketch.: occipital lobe
episod. buffer: parietal lobe
attent. control: anterior cingulate cortex (ACC)

Question 35

why do some people believe verbal and visual short term memory rely on distinct neural processes

Answer 35

• neuroimaging studies: diff brain activity for both
• double dissociation in neuropsychological cases

Question 36

what are the two subcomponents of the phonological loop?

Answer 36

• phonological store: “inner ear”
• articulatory control loop: “inner voice”

Question 37

what are the two subcomponents of the visual sketchpad?

Answer 37

• visual cache: info about visual features
• inner scribe: info about spatial location, mov and sequences

Question 38

define the episodic buffer in the working memory model

Answer 38

component that combines information from different sources including phonological loop, visuo-spatial sketchpad and LTM

Question 39

what are the main points about working memory

Answer 39

1. limited capacity and duration
2. where info can relate to prior knowledge and be manipulated
3. where info enters consciousness and awareness
4. critical for LTM formation

Question 40

what is referred to as “acoustic confusions”

Answer 40

errors in memorization that occur due to the similarity in sound of the letters

Question 41

what are mnemonists

Answer 41

people who can remember long strings of letters or numbers

Question 42

name mnemonics techniques that help encode information

Answer 42

• naming mnemonic
• story mnemonic
• method of loci: associate pieces of info with a location or visual image

Question 43

according to vogel, et al, individuals with high short-term memory capacity are better at…

Answer 43

focusing on relevant information and filtering out irrelevant information

Question 44

what are some researches that challenged the idea that visual and auditory memory components are completely separate from each other

Answer 44

1. people can remember many more items when they form a coherent story
2. conscious experience appears to bind together different modalities

Question 45

according to the working memory model, differences in short-term memory capacity are most likely attributable to which component?
a. phonological loop
b. visuo-spatial sketchpad
c. central executive
d. episodic buffer

Answer 45

c. central executive

Question 46

which area of the brain appears to be important for directing resources of working memory?

Answer 46

frontal lobe

Question 47

explain the delayed-match-to-sample task

Answer 47

• shown image
• delay
• shown second image and asked if there was a difference

Question 48

explain Dresler’s (2017) experiment where he implamented the ‘method of loci’ on non-experts

Answer 48

3 participant groups:
- mnemonic training
- active control
- passive control
memory assed after: 20 min, 24h & 4 months
brain pattern changed in mnemonic training group